Means for compensating for leakage in wave-transmission systems



G. CGNSTANHNESCO. MEANS FOR COMPENSATING FOR-@EAKAGE IN WAVE TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION HLED 1AR.5.!916. RENEWED AUG. 25. L919. V

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

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G. CONSTANTINESCO. MEANS FOR COMPENSATING FOR LEAKAGE IN WAVE TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS. APPLICATION men mm, ms. RENEWED AUG- 25. 1919.

1,334,287. Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT onnrcn.

GOJGU' GdNSTANTINESCO, OF ALI'ERTON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HABIT TO WALTER EADDON, 0F LONIPON ENGLAND.

ME-ANS ro'ncomrnnsa'rmc FOR LEAKAGE nr' wavia rmmsmssron SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

iatented Mar. 23, 1920.

Application filed January 5, 1m, Serial n. 70,501. Renewed August as. 1919. serial No. name.

useful Improved Means for Compensating' for Leakage in Wave-Transmission Systems.

of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to systems for transmitting power b r wave motion, of

the kind described in British Patents Nos.

' column in such a manner that at given posi-.

9029 of 1813 and 12438 of 1914, and particularly to the compensation for leakage of liquid from the pipes in such systems. I i:' a system of pipes containing liquid, forming a transmission line for the transmission of energy by wave motion is required to work for an indefinite period, and there is leakage in the line, e1ther accidental orfor a fixed purpose, such as washing out borings or the like, and if it is not desired to pro vide separate sources for the supply of liquid at intervals along the line, it is necessary to provide some means by which a continuous or intermittent flow of liquid is allowed in the line, so that liquid may be supplied from any convenient point.

11 wave transmission systems, in order to compensate for inertia, orincrease inertia,

or transform from high pressure to low pressure, instruments are employed which depend for their action on dividing the liquid column. and therefore such instruments do not, unless specially constructed, allow the continuous or intermittent flow of liquid which may be required.

The present invention has for its object to provide suitable means whereby'the normal function of condensers, inertia devices and transformers is not interfered with,

while at the same time, continuous or intermlttent flow of liquid through the line is allowed.

The invention consists broadly in con structing .the devices dividing theliquid tions in their stroke, a flow of liquid is per mitted in the transmission ipe from one side of such instrument to t e other, such flow being cut olf by'the movement of the oscillating body.

The invention further consists i3 denser constructed so that in the m a tion 'a flowio f liquid is allowed from one sidetothe other.

The invention also consists in a condenser so {constructed that toward the end of ts stroke a flow of 1i uid is permitted.

The invention a so consists in the improved means for allowing the flow of liquid from one side of the divlding apparatus to the other, hereinafter described.

It will be seen that in order to allow a flow from one side to the other, it is only necessary that an aperture should be provided in a diaphragm, if such is used as the dividing apparatus, or if pistons are elnployed, clearance may be allowed around the piston. This, however, would give rise to loss of power, and according to the present invention, the flow of liquid is ermitted without interfering much with t e transmission of power.

Referring to the accompanying diagrammatio drawings Figure 1 shows a condenser in which the ,flow is cut oil by the movement of the piston from the mean position.

Fig. 2 shows a condenser in which the communicationis openedat the end of the.

stroke of the oscillatin body.

Fig. 3 shows a modi ed form of this ar-' rangement.

In carrying the invention into efl'ect according 'to the form shown in Fig. 1, the f iston a, held in a condenser comprises a mean position, in the cy inder b, by springs a erture to allow it Work on a central rod having a cut ,a ay portion 12 forming with the piston a valve. The transmission pipes are connected at e and f respectively,

The piston is provided with a central so that the condenser. except when in or close to the mean position, divides the liquid column between these two points. In

this arangement, any appreciable movement of the piston a from the mean position cuts oil the communication between the pipes e and f. 1

z ltwill benoticed that in the casecfa condenser on inertia device, the alternating pressure difference on the two sides of the piston is a maximum at the ends --of the stroke, while for the mean position the difference of pressure is zero, so that the flow at the mean position wilhonlyde endon' the mean pressures follows t erefore that at each passage of the piston through the mean position, an opportunity is given for the mean pressures on the two sides of the piston to become equal.

It will be seen that with a condenser as above described, if'the leakage is excessive on one side the mean pressure rises on the opposite side, and the piston tends to move toward the leaky side, and at a certain period of the movement of the piston .ward this side, the passage through the piston is completely closed, and does not again open. This property is of importance, as it prevents the whole line being put out of action in the event of a breakage occurring on one side of the condenser. The condenser in such case operates automatically to cut oil from the remainin portion of the system that part of the line in which the breakage has occurred.

An inertia device may be arranged in a similar manner to operate so that it cuts off any portion of the line in which a breakage or other large leakage occurs.

In the lkrrangement shown in Fig. 2, the piston a i; formed with a bridge, having bearing surfaces y, k, traveling over the cen- 'tral rod d, which in this case is provided with three grooves or cut away portions, 1, m, n. In this case, the condenser can move a certain distance from the mean osition, without allowing any flow of liquid from one side to the other of the piston. If, however, leakage occurs on one side, the mean pressure ,on this side diminishes, and the mean ositionof the piston travels toward this Sl( e. The liquid will thus flow through the piston at the ends of the stroke until the mean pressures are again balanced.

Fig. 3 shows a condenser arran ed for the same purpose, constructed somew at differrntly, in order to get the axis of the condenser corresponding with the direction of the pipe line in which it is inserted.

In installations in which the flow due to leakage is always in one direction, the condcnsers or inertia devices may be simplified, by dispensing with one end of the central bar 117. This isnsually convenient in cases where one generator drives severalreceivers, a liquid supply pump being provided only at the generator end. Where a number of generators are working in parallel at different points on the line, ondensers and inertia devices should be capable of work ing in both directions, as the leak may occur in either direction,

'lt.will be seen that according to the invcntion, condensers or inertia devices or other dividing apparatus may with a permanent leak, provided t at leak is small, and eiliciency is not of great importance.

In the case where a condenser or other apparatus havin a mean position leak is employed, in ordier to start a repaired line which has been cut ofi' by the condenser or the like after a breakage, it is first necessary to fill the required line with liquid at the normal mean pressure, in order to bring the oscillating body back to its mean position.

With regard to the forms of the invention in which the leak occurs at the ends of the stroke, this is specially suitable where considerable leakages are to be dealt with, and where high efficiency is required in the no-leakage condition. his method, however, takes more power for a given leak thin the mean position arrangements which, how ever, are less economical under no-leakage conditions. The reason for this is that no der what we may call the mean position balancing method, shown in Fig. 1, the exchange of liquid due to leakage is at a small difference of alternating ressure, thus absorbing little energy, but a sorbing this ener y whether the leakage occurs or not; whi e with what we may call the end stroke balancing method, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the liquid flows from one side to the other under the maximum difference of /pressure, thus absorbing more power in roportion to the leakage. If, however, no

eakage occurs, this loss of power is zero.

Having now described my invention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In wave transmiss' n systems, a chamber, a piston in said o amber adapted to oscillate about a mean )osition, a passage leading from one side said piston to the other and fixed means adapted to close said passage at a given point of the stroke of said piston, as and for the purpose described.

2. In wave transmission systems. a chamber, a piston in said chamber adapted to oscillate about a mean position, a passa e leading from one side of said iston to tlie other, springs adapted to hoh said piston in a mean position, and fixed means adapted to close said passage at a'given point of the stroke of said piston, as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this s ecification.

G U OONSTANTINESCO. 

